the ability to suss out the excess is extremely limited on AVIS.

For UK rentals, a call will sort it out. For Sth Africa rentals you click thru 4 or 5 links into a decipher zone.
For the US I've simply asked at time of pick-up and have always been okay. But never rented in NY, so things may be different state-by-state.

One of the reasons I mostly use a consolidator is the creeping excess on Rental Companies own sites. Over a grand excess in some cases, once I've drilled far enough
At least some consolidators can be filtered for a no excess quote, ... job done.

Life for those of us without the Amex Plat